Q&A With Ugonna

We interviewed current Alumni Ugonna about her thoughts and experiences on the programme.

Where did you study?

Imperial College London

What degree do you have?

I studied Biomedical Engineering

What attracted you to the Alumni programme?

I saw it as a gleaming opportunity, mainly because of the responsibility we have and the chance to get into technology generally. I did a bit of programming at university and wanted to experience more. The fact that this is a brand new graduate programme also made it an exciting thing to join.

What was it about working in Financial Services that appealed to you?

Finance infiltrates everything; it’s such an important industry. As younger people in the industry, perhaps we can help fix some things of the past.

When did you start?

April 2015

What’s your job role?

Production Support. I provide technology solutions and support to users of IT systems and applications around the bank. Technology plays a significant role within an investment bank – it is vital to all parts of the business – so it’s my job to ensure that all things run smoothly.

What has surprised you most about working at a global Investment Bank?

Just the amount of regulation and sign-offs for processes. It is more than I expected. For example, following a change release there is a whole team just to check that one process!

What’s been the best bit so far?

Definitely the amount of trust put in our hands so early on. The people in my team are also really nice – there’s always opportunity to ask lots of questions.

Is the training Mthree have provided so far proving useful?

Some of it has been really very useful – I use it every day. Other parts I don’t use so much at the moment but still find it useful to understand the principles and terminology so when others are talking about it, I understand what they are discussing.

I think this graduate scheme is unique in that the training is bespoke for each grad. It is fantastic.

How are you finding living and working in London?

I know London well having lived and studied here but seeing the more senior city workers on my way to work is inspirational – I sometimes think ‘I’m going to be in your shoes one day!’

Are you using the gym membership that’s included in the package?

Well…I’m going to two classes tonight! I was never into the gym before but I use it a lot now.

What are your longer term aspirations at the end of the two years?

At the end of the two years I want to be armed with technical skills and be at a level where doing things that are new to me at the moment are second nature.

What are your colleagues at Mthree like?

Hilarious! But also it’s great to be working with equally motivated, switched on people.

Do you see much of the other Alumni?

There have been invites to lunches but I’ve often been too busy to make it. The communication between us is frequent though.

What advice would you give to other graduates thinking of joining the Alumni programme?

Be honest in interviews and do lots of research about banking and wider financial services news. Also, don’t worry about any technical questions - there’s not that many and they don’t expect you to know it all!

I thought it was great that you’re also asked some personal questions in the interviews – it shows that the company cares about who they hire.

Thanks. Before we wrap up, any other comments that you’d like to add?

Definitely apply. It’s such a rare opportunity and I truly believe we’ll develop more than grads on other comparable programmes.

See Ugonna’s ‘Day in the life of’ blog in News & Views for more detail on a typical day in Production Support ​​